About this project

My project is an oscilloscope clock kit. The clock can be built to display the time on a cathode ray tube. I have worked on perfecting this design for years, and now I have a nearly completed project and I am ready to produce a first run. This kit is an upgrade of a previous version with several very important improvements. These include a better quality high voltage supply which produces "cleaner" and more stable high voltage, a more efficient blanking circuit that eliminates almost all retrace lines as well as a battery backup option which uses a standard nine volt battery, and firmware upgrades to support these new features. The prototypes are displayed using a 6Lo1i (Soviet) crt and a 2AP1 crt, but the design can be used with many other small, low voltage crts like DG7-32, DG7-6, 2BP1, LB-8, 50HB1, 7SJ33J, 3SP1, B7S2, LO-247, 3GP1 and many others.

Battery backup option included with kit for $165 pledge

The board can be set to operate on 120VAC (standard U.S. electric service) or 240VAC (some other countries) and battery backup is an option I will include in the reward for $165 with the basic kit.

The concept is built around a digital circuit controlled by a PIC microcontroller running my original firmware. The digital circuitry controls a compact high voltage circuit which drives the crt. The crt's focus, brightness, and centering are adjustable, as well as the vertical and horizontal gain (size) of the display.

Assembled board mounted on 1/4" plexiglass base with 1/8" plexi thermoformed dust cover using 6Lo1i crt - $285 pledge. If the blue led is angled toward the inside of the crt screen, it creates a light affect of blue around the display : )

The firmware allows the user to program the clock to turn the display on and off at preset user selectable times, while the low voltage circuit keeps time and settings. Optional battery backup from a standard nine-volt battery will keep the low voltage circuit powered up for days, preventing loss of settings and keeping time. The clock's feature of turning the display on/off at preset times is crucial to extending the life of the crt, this is a totally unique feature to my design that makes these clocks practical to run 24/7 while preserving the tube from burn-in.

The scope clock started when I dreamed of building a clock using an oscilloscope crt, something that had become obsolete due to the advent of much thinner, wider displays like lcd, plasma and now led. I designed the circuitry for the kit board to be as compact as possible, while still using components big enough to be easy to work with and handle the wattage of the circuitry. After designing the pc boards, I wrote and debugged my firmware for the PIC microcontroller that makes the whole design work.

The kit with a 2AP1 crt and 6Lo1i crt shown from a different angle and in different lighting.

I plan on ordering a 100+ run of the pc boards, using the design files of the prototype run. I already have quantities of the components stocked, and plan to stock enough to complete all 100 kits. I have accumulated a collection of crts over the years with this project in mind, and have more than enough in stock to fulfill the rewards for this project. I craft the bases for the crt and boards to mount on from 1/4" plexiglass stock, and thermoform the dust covers from 1/8" plexiglass.

Close up of the battery backup on deluxe edition, mounted on the base using a nine-volt battery clip.

The boards will take about two weeks for production, and the 25 kits will be sent out within two weeks thereafter. Then the 25 kits with the crt included and assembled board mounted on the plexiglass base with thermoformed dust cover will ship, about two weeks later, so the whole process of fulfilling rewards should take about six weeks, following the project funding. My goal is to have the rewards fulfilled by mid - February.

Risks and challenges

One of the challenges of building a clock this way is to design the circuitry so that it doesn't interfere with the display itself, since crts of this type use electrostatic deflection (a method of deflecting or moving the crt beam by using changes in voltages). The idea here is to create something not just functional but also visually appealing. This is as much a form of artwork as it is a practical device. Another challenging aspect is to provide this in a form usable with many different types of crts, making it possible for builders to choose their own crt, possibly one already owned that is not used for any other purpose and would be left in obsolescence otherwise.

Rewards

$145 reward

Build it yourself ! The oscilloscope clock kit. Kit includes the pc board, components to populate it, preprogrammed microcontroller, transformer and assembly instructions. Connect to your own compatible crt. Crts found to work well with the kit board include types DG7-32, DG7-6, 2AP1, 2BP1, LB-8, 6Lo1i, 50HB1, 7SJ33J, 3SP1, B7S2, LO-247, 3GP1 and many other relatively low voltage, small crts.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2014

Ships anywhere in the world

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$285 reward

4 backers
Limited (13 left of 17)

Ready to start ! Can be set to operate on 120VAC (U.S. standard) electric service as well as 240VAC (some other countries) Fully assembled clock board and base including crt with dust cover (as pictured) using 6Lo1i (Soviet) crt. Automatically adjusts to 60 HZ service (U.S.) or 50 HZ (others). Customize your own cabinet / housing to make it your own unique creation !